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The Chicago White Sox take on the Houston Astros. Check out our MLB odds series for our White Sox Astros prediction and pick.
Michael Kopech gets the call for the White Sox, while Cristian Javier takes the hill for the Astros.
Michael Kopech has a 1.92 ERA. He has been fabulous for the White Sox, but Chicago has not made good use of his excellence in 2022. Kopech has appeared in 11 games, but one of those appearances was a very brief one. Kopech retired two batters before leaving in the first inning with a knee injury. In his 10 “normal” starts, Kopech has allowed more than three runs only once, more than two runs only twice. Chicago's record in those 10 starts: 5-5. That shows how frustrating this season has been on the South Side. Kopech posted a 1.42 ERA in April and a 1.17 ERA in May. His one truly bad start of the year came on June 1 when the Blue Jays torched him for five runs in three innings, but he has been outstanding otherwise. His knee problem is something to monitor heading into this game, however, so one shouldn't think Kopech is guaranteed to be great. He has to show that his scare with the knee was not significant.
Cristian Javier has a 3.20 ERA. He has been superb for the Astros this season. The main reason his ERA is over 1.25 runs higher than Kopech's is that he has had two bad starts this year, whereas Kopech has only one. Javier has given up two runs or fewer in 10 of his 12 starts. In his two bad starts, Javier has allowed 12 runs in a combined 7 1/3 innings. Take away those two starts, and he has been genuinely excellent for Houston. He bounced back from a rough outing against the Mariners on June 6 by pitching six strong innings against the Rangers on June 13, allowing just two runs on five hits. The Astros know they have a dependable pitcher here.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the White Sox-Astros MLB odds.
MLB Odds: White Sox-Astros Odds
Chicago White Sox: +1.5 (-170)
Houston Astros: -1.5 (+140)
Over: 7.5 (+100)
Under: 7.5 (-122)
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Why The White Sox Could Cover the Spread
The White Sox are underachieving, but that means they have the talent and the capacity to be much better. They showed what they are capable of on Saturday when they hammered Justin Verlander and knocked the Cy Young winner (and 2022 contender) out of the game early. This team always has the ability to bust loose and become a force in the American League. That, plus Michael Kopech taking a sub-2.00 ERA to the bump, offer more than enough reason for you to take the White Sox on Sunday Night Baseball.
Why The Astros Could Cover the Spread
The Astros have done very well against the White Sox in recent years. They handled the Sox in four games in last year's ALDS. They know how to deal with Chicago pitching. Kopech's uncertainty with his knee, plus the fact that the Astros have a chance to win the weekend series with a victory in this game, points to the likelihood that Houston will win this contest. Cristian Javier is also a good reason to ride with the Astros.
Final White Sox-Astros Prediction & Pick
This is a good stay-away game, given the uncertainty about Kopech's knee. However, if you insist on making a pick, the Astros winning a series against the White Sox at home is not the worst pick you could make. You could try that, but again, it's probably better to stay away.
Final White Sox-Astros Prediction & Pick: Astros -1.5
